1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to computer systems and information management systems, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for managing and using information necessary for compliance with domestic and international Chemical Control Laws.
2. Description of Related Art
There are a wide variety of environmental laws (statutes, regulations, etc.) governing the manufacture, importation, distribution and sale of various chemicals in different countries and regions of the world. These laws are generally known as Chemical Control Laws. Chemical Control Laws (CCLs) are designed to protect human health and the surrounding environment from the deleterious effects of hazardous chemicals. Currently, there are approximately 26 countries within North America, Europe and the Pacific Rim that have Chemical Control Laws, with additional regional Durisdictions.
Major CCLs include: the United States Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA); the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA); the EEC (European Economic Community) Directive; the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) Law; the New Zealand Toxic Substances Act (TSA); the Philippine Law (RA 6969); the Chinese National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA); the Korean Toxic Chemical Control Law (TCCL); and the Australian National Industrial Chemical Notification Act Services (NICNAS). The TSCA and other U.S. hazardous substance laws are discussed further in Patent Cooperation Treaty Application No. PCT/US93/01976.
Chemical Control Laws in general are considered to have two main components: registration requirements and special requirements. Registration requirements have followed two lines of evolution resulting in product-based laws and inventory laws. Both types of registration have been interpreted to have registration (inventory) exemptions for incidental impurities, byproducts, and non-regulated chemicals. Product-based laws require registration of the exact chemical composition of each product (i.e., finished good) with the proper government authorities of the end-use country or region. Registration typically involves submission of a completed form and a filing fee. China and New Zealand, for example, currently employ product-based laws.
The most common Chemical Control Laws are the inventory-based laws. Inventory-based laws have national or regional inventories which are lists of chemicals approved for commercial manufacture, import and sales in the particular country or region of the world. Each chemical component of a product is required to be listed on an inventory prior to commercial manufacture, import or sale. Additions to an inventory are accomplished through registration of the unlisted chemical component and involves the submission of a completed registration form, supplying certain required data, and a filing fee. Inventories can be dynamic or static. The dynamic inventory allows for additions and deletions of listings, while the static inventory is fixed; in other words, static inventories require registration of each new chemical by any company seeking to manufacture, import, distribute or sell the chemical in the country or region of interest, and these registered chemicals will not be added to the static inventory.
With both types of laws, the special requirements regulate aspects of a chemical's or product's use, such as lifecycle restrictions. The special requirements may also include sponsoring of testing for health and environmental effects, restrictions in production volumes, processes, and uses. Special requirements sometimes further include a required export notification to certain government agencies in the end-use countries. Recording and reporting of adverse effects of chemicals on human health or the environment is another special requirement. The diagram of FIG. 1 schematically illustrates the major parts and differences of current Chemical Control Laws as generally described above.
Because of the complexities in registration requirements and special requirements, and since each country or region requires a separate effort, compliance with CCLs, on a regional and global basis, is always an enormously time consuming and resource consuming task. As additional countries and regions develop their own specific Chemical Control Laws, the difficulties with compliance increase. The system disclosed in the aforementioned PCT application addresses specific U.S. laws and regulations, but fails to provide any suggestions for Chemical Control Law compliance that would alleviate the foregoing difficulties.
In light of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide a method and system to assure compliance with Chemical Control Laws in an automated manner, allowing simple and effective management of Chemical Control Law information on a global basis. It would be further advantageous if the method and system could organize and display relevant CCL information, such as multiple manufacturing and sales statuses of raw materials, reaction product materials, and formula materials.